Back toAs a parent, DeAndré had never heard of respiratory syncytial virus until his son contracted the condition.
Transcript
My name is Deandre, and I am the father of three beautiful children. And my seven-month-old son had a very severe case of RSV.
As a parent, I didn't know anything about RSV. [SLOW MUSIC]
Our RSV story started one Friday afternoon when I came home from work and I could tell that D.J. Was really
struggling to breathe. I immediately called 911 and had the paramedics come and check him out. We were advised to take D.J. To the emergency room.
Then, we were transported to another hospital via ambulance. The ICU nurses came in and whisked my son
and myself away to the intensive care unit where D.J. spent an entire week in ICU.
D.J. was on the ventilator for three days. During that time, it was so critical for us
to see that his lungs could support him so he would breathe on his own very often,
and that was very reassuring. After they pulled that tube out of D.J.'s throat, within the hour, D.J. was already
breathing on room air. While he was in the hospital, you have to understand, at seven months,
our son was still 100% breastfed. So it was imperative that we got that breast milk from mom up to the hospital to be warmed up,
to be then pumped into the tube that was feeding D.J. And then, once they pulled the tube out,
the nurses and the doctors and the care team suggested that we really needed to bring mom up and let nature take its course.
And of course, mom came up instantaneously. Instantaneously latched onto mom and started
breastfeeding, getting that liquid gold that he desperately needed. They said, pack your bags and you're going home.
And it was an overwhelmingly joyous occasion. Look who's going home.
We'll never forget those people that checked on us and cared for us. I will never forget the care team. We appreciate all the love.
We appreciate all the support. And that's the critical component of how a family overcomes this horrific virus, support.
I want parents to know when and if you find yourself dealing with the RSV experience,
I just want you to stay encouraged and know that your kid will come out on the other side.
You have to believe it with every fiber of your being. [LOGO]
